The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-11

Horrible OutraGes Perpetrated on Innocent
Men and Women-How Nihi1ists Are Made.

George KEENAN,, in December Century
When General Strelnikoff was intrusted by
the Tsar with almost dictatorial power in order
that he might extirpate sedition in the provinces
of southern Russia, he arrested and threw into
prison in the single city of Odessa no less than
lis persons in three days. He then went to
KEY and arrested eighty mine persons almost
simultaneously, and ordered the imprisonment
of hundreds of others in Kharkhoff Nikolaief,
Pultava Kursk and other South Russian cities
Most of these arrests were made entirely with
out what is known as probable cause" and
for the sole purpose of obtaining clews to plots
which the police believed to exist but which
they had not been able to discover Many of
the persons arrested were mere children-im-
mature schoolboyS and girls from fifteen to sew
enteen years of age-who could not possibly be
regarded dangerous conspirators, but who
might, it was thought be terrified into
fession of all they knew with regard to the
movements, conversations and occupations of
their older relatives and friends.
General Strelnikoffs plan was to arrest stimuli
taneously large number of persons belonging
to the enthusiastically" class; throw them into
prison, keep them for ten days or two weeks in
the strictest solitary confinement, and then sub
ject them to a terrifying inquisitorial examina-
tion with the hope of extorting scraps of in
formation, here little and there little, which
might be pieced together. like the parts of dis
sected map, so as to reveal the outlines of rev.
dictionary plot. If, for example, young girl
belonged to an enthusiastically" family, and a
Suspicious letter to her had been intercepted
by the authorities; or if she had been seen COM
ing out of suspicious" house at late hour in
the evening, she was arrested in one of these
police raids. generally at night: conveyed IN q
close carriage to the Odessa prison; put into a
solitary confinement cell and left to her
agonizing thoughts. No explanation given
her of this summary proceeding, and if she APP
pealed to the sentry on duty in the corridor the
only reply she obtained was, "Prikazano ne
gavarit -'Talking is forbidden" The effect
produced upon young. inexperienced. impress
ible girl, by the overwhelming shock of such a
transition from the repose, quiet and security of
her own bedroom, in her own home to narrow.
gloomy cell in a common criminal prison at
night, readily be imagined Even if she
were girl of courage and frmneSS of character,
her self-control might give way under the strain
of such an ordeal The sounds which break the
stiffness of Russian criminal prison at night
the stealthy tread of the guard; the family
heard cries of drunken and disorderly casual
who is being strapped to his bed in another part
of the prison. cries which suggest to an mex
perenced girl some terrible scene of violence
and outrage; the occasional clang of heavy
door; the moaning and hysterical weeping of
other recently arrested prisoners in cells on the
same corridor, and the sudden and noiseless APP
pearance now and then of an unknown human
face at the little square portfolio in the cell door
through which the prisoners watched-all
combine to make the first night of young girl
in prison an experience never to be forgot
ten while she lives This experience. however.
is only the beginning of the trial which her
courage and self-control are destined to under
go. One day passes-two days-three days
ten days-without bringing any news from the
outside world or any information concerning
the nature of the charges made against her.
Twice every twenty four hours food is handed to
her through the square portfolio by the taciturn
guard. but nothing else breaks the monotony and
the solitude of her life. She has no books no
writing materials, no means whatever of divert
ing her thoughts or relieving the mental strain.